The Compassion

Good morning, happy Tuesday and blessings.

In today's meditation I share this question: Why was Jesus' compassion so outstanding? The Gospel of Mark (6:34) tells us: When Jesus disembarked and saw so many people, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So, he started teaching them many things.

Compassion is defined as a feeling of deep sympathy and concern for another person who is suffering, or who has had a misfortune. This is distinguished by a strong desire to help calm the suffering.

Jesus' compassion was demonstrated: because he knew how to put himself in the place of other people and feel their pain, although he did not go through all the circumstances they went through. Also, because he was not ashamed to express what he felt. And because he took the initiative and helped those in need. Jesus' call for you and me today is for us to imitate his compassion.

Now, there are three realities that kill my compassion towards other people. First are my moralistic judgments where I am always looking for what the other person does wrong instead of looking for what I am doing wrong. Second, it is when I start making comparisons where the other person goes wrong in my evaluation because they are supposed to do things as I do. And third, my constant denial of having responsibility for what may be happening. That is, I always say that it is the fault of the other person.

The invitation for this Lent is that we return to the compassion that Jesus is asking of us. How are we going to respond?

Blessings

Fr. Luis +